6 Outrageous Turkey Alternatives For Your Thanksgiving Feast

The best way to roast a turkey, stuff a turkey, fry a turkey — those tips are out there everywhere. But, for those of us who aren’t big fans of the traditional big bird, what else can we serve in the centerpiece of our Thanksgiving feast?

Here are some of our top picks.

Stuffed pumpkin (credit: istock)

1. Lamb Meat Loaf In Mini Pumpkins: We can all agree that those little orange pumpkins you peep in a big bin in the Meijer produce sections would look cute a decor — but this idea kicks it up a notch. In her blog, The Tomato Tart, Sabrina Modelle puts her own twist on a vintage recipe, subbing lamb for the traditional turkey. [See the recipe].

2. Holiday Vegetable Loaf: As long as we’re doing a loaf, why not go all the way? An ad by the Atlantic Commission Company catches the eye with its bright colors and many unidentifiable ingredients. Sadly (not really) we could not find a recipe to perfectly recreate this, but we found something that might be close, and that appears more palatable. [See the recipe].

3. Pumpkin Lasagna: For you pumpkin loving people who don’t eat animals, this one looks pretty good — with an Italian twist. FoodandWine.com says you can even used canned pumpkin and it’ll turn out great. [See the recipe].

4. The Mighty Duck: This has nothing to do with ice hockey, to be clear, and comes to us from celebrity chef Alton Brown. It could be yummy, but first you’ll have to “remove the pop-up thermometer, liver, gizzards and heart,” “cut off the wings” and “locate the spine,” according to the recipe via FoodNetwork.com. Who’s hungry? [See the recipe].

5: Slow Cooker Squirrel: Yes, this is a legit recipe and no, it’s not legal to shoot these fluffy creatures your suburban backyard. Bobbie Jo, who posted it at Allrecipes.com, says this “is for those of us who are hunters and are more of the country ilk.” Alrighty then. [See the recipe].

Key ingredients: Skinned squirrels,potatoes, medium head of cabbageBonus: More acorns for you.